Complaints see off recycling bank

STRONG opposition from residents has led Stroud District Council to remove the new recycling banks at Stamages Lane car park in Painswick.

The parish council was in the process of a three-month consultation due to end in September but it asked SDC to find a more suitable location after complaints from residents, who were concerned
about noise nuisance, extra traffic, visual impact and health and safety issues.

The containers will be removed by September 12.

District Councillor Nigel Cooper (Con, Painswick) said: "This is great news for nearby residents. "All the residents I have spoken to are very supportive of the new recycling scheme, it was just
that these containers were inappropriately positioned.

"It is a victory for common sense."

The new recycling banks were set up as part of SDC's new waste collection scheme.

They replaced smaller facilities at the same site, but were moved from the bottom of the car park to the entrance to allow access for the large vehicles used to empty the bins.

Simon Pickering, executive member for environment for SDC, said: "The new recycling banks are larger than the previous ones, as they are for bulky materials such as cardboard and plastics, and
therefore need to be in a larger space to provide room for the collection lorry to access them. "The layout of the Stamages Lane car park means that they could only be positioned at one end of the
car park, a location which was previously agreed with Painswick Parish Council , however this has since led to a
number of concerns. "After discussing the issues with residents and local councillors we have decided to remove the banks. "This is a real shame as there does not appear to be any other suitable
local sites for this well used recycling facility, which serves hundreds of homes in Painswick and the surrounding area."